Various such collapsible hand-held fishing nets are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 403,680 issued on May 21, 1889 to J. G. Landman entitled "Hinge-Screw Coupling for Fishing-Net Frame", relates to a hinge-screw coupling consisting of two parts hinged together and provided each with a projection, both of which projections when closed together have exterior continuous screw-threads to receive a screw ferrule or handle, and the two parts of the coupling independently of the hinge are provided, respectively, with a tongue or projection and a groove or recess which interlock to strengthen the hinge-coupling against lateral strain. The invention contemplates the net being wound around the side bars provided, thereby permitting the net to be stored in a small place.
U.S. Pat. No. 440,568 issued on Nov. 11, 1890 to C. S. Hebard, provides a hollow handle having a longitudinal slot of approximately even length with the handle and having at each end an offset or L-shaped extension, in which said slot slides a button sustained in a round plug of slightly less diameter than the inner diameter of said handle, in order that the said plug may slide to and fro in the handle under the impulse of the button and be locked against movement in either direction by the engagement of the latter with one of said offsets. Pivoted in said plug is a pair of arms of such length that when the plug is withdrawn to the bottom or closed end of the handle such arms will rest wholly within said handle, and when the plug is projected to the open end of the handle with the arms in advance said arms are free to be distended into a V shape, in which position they are maintained by a knuckle-jointed rod, which is hinged at each of its ends to the outer ends of said arms, and by the spring of the arms is maintained at an angle whose apex is higher than such ends, thus forming a rigid frame for the net, which latter is secured to rings which slide freely on the rod and arms, according as the same are manipulated. When the net frame described herein is folded in a manner the reverse of the above-described opening operation, bringing the arms and rod-sections side by side, the net is wound snugly around the same, and when the plug is withdrawn will be drawn wholly within said handle and locked against accidental projection by the engagement of the button with the offset at the lower end of the slot.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,077,481 issued to Harry Levy on November 4, 1913 relates to a collapsible net device comprising a net frame which is attached to a handle. Said net frame comprises two members hingedly connected at their inner and outer ends to a flattened hinge portion of a screw. Each of such hinged members comprises a plurality of resilient sections slidably connected to vary the length of the members. Said hinged members further comprise a straight portion. Said handle presents a washer which bears against the straight portion of said hinged members and the bottom surface of said flattened hinge position, as best shown in FIG. 11.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,169,311, issued on Jan. 25, 1916 to G. C. Walter, relates to a fish net holder comprising a handle, a member detachably connected with one extremity of the latter, two spring sections having their inner extremities connected with said member, a third spring section detachably connected with the first named sections, and a net supported by said sections. The net is wound around said two spring sections and stored inside the handle in the stored position.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,205,229 issued to E. L. Spriggs et al. on Nov. 1, 1938, relates to a collapsible fish landing net comprising a pair of normally relatively straight spring frame arms. Said spring frame arms are joined to one another at one end by means of a hinge member which is provided with a threaded end portion and a flattened hinge portion. Said threaded end portion is received by a threaded hole disposed within a handle. The other ends of said spring frame arms are provided with relatively rigid ears claspable in slidable relation to one another, the ear of one arm being provided with a slot, and the ear of the other arm with a stud adapted to pass through the slot, each of said ears being provided with a hook at its inner end about which a strand of a fish net is hookable, said hooks lying opposite their corresponding arms and having their open sides in close proximity to said arms into generally a ring shape wherein the flexure of the spring arms will tend to close the open space between said hooks and said arms, the free ends of each ear being adapted to slide inside the opposite arm when the arms are sprung into generally ring shape and to hold the arms in generally ring shape and to hold the arms in their sprung relationship until the net is collapsed.
There are numerous disadvantages to the prior art collapsible fishing net devices. In particular, it is desirable to provide for a structure which provides the strength and rigidity required to allow fish of relatively significant weight to be landed using a collapsible fishing net device. It is further desirable to provide for a collapsible fishing net device of this structure to be durable while also being easy and inexpensive to manufacture.
In addition, the prior art collapsible fishing net devices generally provide for a storage cavity within a handle within which the net is stored by wrapping same around the members which comprise the net frame. It is generally necessary to wrap the net because of the size of the components of such prior art collapsible fishing net devices generally do not leave ample room for the net to be stored in addition to the members making up the net frame.
In order to permit the net to be stored inside the handle and to avoid the net becoming tangled and torn when the components of the net frame and the net are being inserted in the handle, the net is wrapped around such components. Wrapping the net around such components is relatively time consuming and inconvenient. Also, the action of wrapping the net around these components, particularly if this is done tightly, causes additional stress on the strings comprising the net, which over time results in degradation of the net.
There is therefore a further need for a collapsible fishing net device which provides structure for storing the net within the handle of such device without the need for wrapping the net around the components of the device stored inside such handle along with the net.